


To The Point

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [162]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 14:54:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19231393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: He’ll be the first to admit that he’s petulant, so the more Carter stares at him and sighs, the more he decides to tap the pen against the folded newspaper – just because he knows how much it’s aggravating her this morning and for some unhealthy reason herefusesto address, he enjoys it when she gets a little mad at him.





	To The Point

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ‘Ball Point Pen Day’ (10 June). Set during season 7, because I love the chemistry between Sam and Jack.

He’ll be the first to admit that he’s petulant, so the more Carter stares at him and sighs, the more he decides to tap the pen against the folded newspaper – just because he knows how much it’s aggravating her this morning and for some unhealthy reason he _refuses_ to address, he enjoys it when she gets a little mad at him.

Another sigh reaches his ears, so he draws in a breath and makes a big show of studying the crossword. After a few seconds he clicks his fingers, scribbles _completely_ the wrong answer into the boxes and then gives the pen a double-click for good measure.

“You’re doing that on purpose.”

He slowly meets her gaze across the table but gives nothing away.

“What am I doing?”

“You’re trying to distract me, just so you can finish your puzzle first.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Never mind,” she mumbles as she looks back at her own crossword.

The commissary isn’t overly busy as it’s still far too early in the morning, but he doesn’t particularly want anyone to catch him staring at his second-in-command either, so he observes her for a few more seconds before he looks away. He isn’t quite sure when they started working on crossword puzzles together over breakfast – or how Daniel and Teal’c found out about it – but he’s even more unsure as to how he ended up making one of the most idiotic bets he’s ever made with the archaeologist.

“You’re doing it again. _Sir._ ”

Frowning in confusion, he looks around. “What?”

But instead of answering, she glares at him and over-exaggerates tapping her pen against the table.

“Oh.” _Oh._ “Sorry, Carter.”

She nods once, but he isn’t sorry in the slightest. In fact, as soon as she looks away, he smirks because he knows she’s about to reach her limit.

So, naturally, he starts to hum. Just loud enough so only she can hear.

It takes all of four seconds before she throws her paper and pen onto the table.

“Really, sir? _The Simpsons?_ ”

“Carter, I don’t –”

“Give it to me,” she suddenly says as she reaches across the table and swipes the pen from his hand and turns his newspaper around.

She’s just about to score out one of his answers when she freezes and her gaze snaps to his – her surprise just as evident as his at her actions, but when she hastily tacks on a ‘sir’ before she turns her attention back to the crossword, he can’t help but grin. His gaze falls to the pen she stole and he watches the way she methodically writes over his own letters, the odd huff of amusement – or disgust, he can’t quite tell – being uttered as she reads through his attempt at answers.

“You know,” she says distractedly, as she fills in another column, “just because I’m finishing your answers rather than my own, doesn’t mean you get to win.”

His amusement fades slightly and he sits up straighter in the chair.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh huh.”

“No really,” he quips as he reaches for his coffee. “Feel free to enlighten me, Carter,” he adds, but when she carefully sets the pen down and leans back in her chair, Jack knows that she knows.

“Daniel told me.”

“The little weasel.”

He mumbles the insult under his breath, but Sam still hears it if her smirk is anything to go by.

“You bet Daniel fifty bucks that you would finish a crossword puzzle before me! Not only is the idea completely ridiculous – no offence – but is it honestly the best bet you could come up with?”

“No,” he fires back, then pulls a face when he realizes he’s just confirmed his part in the bet. It’s his turn to sigh heavily. “But it’s probably the only bet that’ll get me into the least amount of trouble – or so I thought,” he grumbles when Sam continues to stare.

“Alright, Carter. Listen,” he says, resting his elbows on the table and leaning in conspiratorially, “I’ll make you a deal. If you help me finish this, the fifty bucks? It’s yours.”

She frowns slightly at him, a wary expression on her face. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I refuse to prove Daniel right. He’ll be insufferable.”

“What’s in it for me?”

“Five. Zero. Carter. Fifty bucks!”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” she laughs. “I mean, I’ll take the fifty bucks, but it’s going to cost you more than that.”

His eyes narrow as he watches his teammate suspiciously. “How much more?”

“I don’t know yet,” she says lightly as she picks up the newspaper again. “How badly do you want to win?”

“It’s Daniel,” he answers, throwing his arms up into the air.

“I’ll have to think about it.”

“Well don’t take too long,” he grumbles, instantly regretting it when she pierces him with a look.

“Do you want my help or not, sir?”

He purses his lips as he weighs up his options. There’s Daniel who’ll plaster a smug smirk onto his face and happily repeat ‘I told you so’ in 23 different languages; or there’s Carter, who is staring at him with a glint in her eye and an equally smug smirk on her lips, and he’s suddenly realizing he’s in trouble no matter what he decides to do.

“Yeah,” he sighs. “I do.”

She nods once and resumes her task. “Daniel’s going to know I helped you with this.”

“Ah, but he doesn’t know it’s because I know you know about the bet.”

A look of confusion briefly flits across Sam’s face as she tries to follow his logic.

“It’s cheating.”

“Again, _it’s Daniel._ ”

_“Sir –”_

“ _Please,_ Carter?”

“Fine,” she smiles. “I’ll help you.”

“Thank you," he sighs. "Now, what’s the damage?”

She grins mischievously and Jack swallows hard at the look in her eye.

“Wanna go double or nothing?”


End file.
